Machine for preparing leaf-tobacco for manufacture into cigars.



Patented Nov. 25, |902.

P. H. ERTHEILER. 'MACHINE FOR PREPARING LEAF TOBACCO FOR MANUFACTURE INTO CIGARS.

(Application filed July 24, 1901.\

(No Mudel.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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MACHINE FOR PREPARING LEAF-TOBACCO FOR MNUFACTURE INTO `ClGRSI SPECIFICATIQ forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,289, dated November 25, 1902. Application filed July 24,1901. h Serial No. 69.599. (No model.)

` "T al?, whom t may concern: I

rettes, Smoking-Tobacco, and Chewing-Tolright angles to the axes of the rollers.

bacco, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyv` ing drawings, forming a part thereof. t In the manufacture of tobacco into cigarsl and other merchantable forms fitted for con' sumption the usual practice is to sever the web portions of the leaves from the stems and to reject the stems, which are thick and tough and are of slower combustible properties than the web. This operation wastes not only the stem, but also a part of the web adhering to the stem, and reduces a considerable part of the web to small fragments, known in trade as scrap, which is of small value as compared with the leaf. Attempts have been made to use the stems of tobacco with the leaves by crushing them directly with rollers, the leaves being introduced in a direction at This is found to stretch or extend the stems lengthwise and to disintegrate the leaves.

My invention has for its object the spread` ing of the stems laterally and during this operation to support the web portion of the leaf during its passage between the rollers and-to: convey it safely without disintegration, so that the leaves i are delivered of uniform lthickness inall parts and the entire leaf is i susceptible of satisfactory utilization for `manufacture and use; and to this end my invent-ion consists in a series of rollers com- :bined with endlessaprons of non-adhesive material adapted to receive the leaves with lthe stems in parallel position with the axes :of the rollers and support them during the operation 0f spreading and iiatt'ening of the stemsby the pressure of the rollers and convey them and remove them for use bya com- `bination of doctors or'scrapers with the aprons and rollers and a draining apparatus, as hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a plan of my apparatus `or machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the receiving end thereof, and Fig. 4 an elevation of the rear or discharging end thereof..

Referring to the drawings, a represents the side frames of the machine; b, housings supported thereon containing bearings c, supporting the necks d of rollers candy, arranged 1in pairs with adjusting-screws g to regulate the space or distance between the rollers of `each pair. `having their axes parallel with the rollers c A second pair of rollers h and t',

andf, is supported in housingsj and 7c, also attached to the frame a. The frames a are bracedto each other by girths and braces m.

An endless apron n passes above the rollers e andhrand is supported and guided by rollers o and p, supported and turning iu bearings qand r, attached to the frame a. A second endless apron c passes below the rollersfand 'i and is guided and supported bya roller s,\turning in bearings 29, attached to the frame a. Ascraper or doctor tis elastically secured to the frame a, so as to scrapein close contact with apron in Where it passes around the roller p. A similar doctor u is attached tothe housings j and 7c and is pressed `against the apron c where it passes around the rollert. An inclined shelf or feed-board 2S is placed in front of the rollers e andy and is provided with a channel or drainiuggutterlw at its lower edge and end and is proi vided with a drain -tube 30 for conducting liquid therefrom. Attached to the frame Ct is a third pair of housings was, in which are supported and turn a third pair of rollers y and z, having their axes in a direction at` right angles to the rollers h and t' and in a position lower than the roller p. An end- .less apron 1 passes around the roller 'y and the roller2, supported in bearings 3, attached to the frame ct. Another endless apron 4 passes around the roller e and a roller, supported in bearings, attached to the frame ot.

Scrapers and doctors 7 and 8, attached to the frame a, are applied to the apronsl and et at the parts supported by the rollers fg and e. The several pairs of rollers e and f, h and t', and y and a' are rotated by gear-wheels 9, 10, and 11, applied to the lower rollers e, h, and fg and propelled by pinions 12, 13; and 14 and shaft 15, turning in bearings 17, 18, 19, and 20, attached to the frame a. The upper rollers f, t, and .e are turned by pinions 2l,

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22, and 23, engaging in corresponding pinions 24, 25, and 26 upon the lower rollers e,y

h, and y. The entire machine is placed upon a pan 27 to receive the water expressed from the leaves, as hereinafter described. A grating 30, of strips of wood, should be placed in the pan 27 for the operator to stand upon. The aprons n and o and l and 4 should be made of flexible non adhesive material. Plates of thin metal are preferable for such use.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The tobacco-leaves, previously soaked and in water and softened and drained of the superfluous water," are laid successively upon the inclined feed-board 28 and spread out, with the stem in a direction parallel with the axes of the rollers e and f, and slid downward upon the apron n, which, deriving motion from the roller e, carries the leaf between the apron n and the apron o between the rollers e and f, which, pressing the aprons n and v close together, flattens the stem of the leaf, spreading it laterally. After passing the leaf from the pressure of the rollers e and f the aprons 'n and o convey it between the rollers h and l,where itis furthercompressed, and the stem and the ribs of the leaf are reduced to the thickness of the web of the leaf, and the water contained in the leaf is expressed from it. The aprons n and o convey the leaf beyond the rollers handiand deliver it upon the apron l, which conveys it in a direction at right angles to its previous motion between the aprons l and 4, between the rollers y and z, and from them it is delivered in a lfiat condition of uniform thickness to a box or receptacle, ready to be cut into pieces for use. The Scrapers or doctors t, u, and 7 and 8 serve to separate the leaves from the aprons' in case they should adhere thereto and to keep the surface of the aprons clear of any deposit from the water expressed from the leaves. The result of the operation of this machine is to reduce all the thicker portions of tobacco-leaves to uniform thickness with the web of the leaf, so that the entire leaf is susceptible of use and an economy of material results, as well as a saving of the labor now required in the process of stripping the leaves from the stems.

The machine may be constructed with a larger number of pairs of rollers without deing axes at right angles to the iirst series of rollers and means of rotating said rollers arranged to operate substantially vas set forth. 2. In a machine for preparing tobacco-leaves for manufacture, ,two or more pairs of parallel compressing-rollers and endless aprons arranged to convey tobacco-leaves between said rollers and aprons and support them during the crushing and spreading operation, in combination with one or more doctors arranged to' release the leaves from adhering to said aprons, as set forth and described.

3. In a machine for preparing tobacco-leaves for manufacture, two or more pairs of rollers and endless aprons arranged to convey tobacco-leaves between said rollers and deliver them therefrom in combination with endless aprons, and a pair of rollers and endless aprons at right angles to the first series of rollers and a doctor or doctors arranged to detach the leaves from the second pair of aprons substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for preparing tobacco-leaves for manufacture, a supporting-frame two or more pairs of rollers and endless aprons arranged to convey and press the leaves laterally, a pair of rollers and aprons, at right angles to the aforesaid rollers, means of rotating said rollers, and doctors applied to the aprons in combination with a feeding shelf or table provided with adraining trough and tube, and a pan arranged to receive liquid expressed from the leaves as for the purpose set forth.

PHILIP I-I. ERTHEILER.

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